Combination organ stop action



March 14,.1933. T AUSTlN COMBINATION ORGAN STOP ACTION Filed May 7, 1932 Jwwntoz John T A usti n Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN T. AUSTIN, OF HARTFORD, GONNECTICU T, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUSTIN ORGAN COM- PANY, CF. HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT COMBINATION ORGAN s'ror ACTION Application filed May 7, 1982. Serial No. 609,828.

This invention relates generally to musical instruments provided with stops and means for operating said stops, and particularly to an improved stop operating mechanism for organs.

In mechanisms of this kind, as heretofore constructed, it has been necessary. for the organist, when he wishes to operate a. certain combination of stops, to manipulate a piston and hold the piston in manipulated position for a sufficient length of time to allow for the proper'sequence of movements, resulting in the actuation of a trace and the operation of the desired stops. The organist may press the piston in but not hold it there for a suificient length of time to allow for the interval necessary for giving this proper sequence of movements, with the result that the desired stops are not; brought to the selected positions, thereby interfering with the rendition of the musical composition. The necessity of holding the piston in for an appreciable period of time complicates the playing of the organ and subjects the or anist to undue strain and fatigue.

he aim of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement of organ stop operating mechanism wherein the above and other objections incident to structures heretofore made are eliminated and,moreparticularly, to provide an improved'arrangement of this kind wherein it is only necessary for the organist to momentarily actuate the piston and then release it with the assurance that, irrespective of how short a time the piston is held depressed, the necessary sequence of operations will be effected to draw the selected trace and move the desired stops into the selected combination. With the present arrangement, it'is only necessary for the organist to merely depress the piston for an instant with the hand or foot, depending upon whether a manual or pedal piston is actuated, and then the hand or foot may be removed from said piston thereby immediately releasing the hands and feet of the organist to perform other desired functions in connection with the playing of the organ. Thus rendition of the musical composition is greatly facilitated.

The present invention also aims to improve upon such structures as disclosed in my Patents No. 1,456,612, granted May 29, 1923, and No. 1,279,492, granted September 24, 1918.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one embodiment of my invention,

The figure is a more or less diagrammatic view of my improved organ stop operating mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a plurality of traces disposed in parallel relation is provided, one of which is designated 10 and is provided with the usual actuators 11 which are adapted to operate the ordinary rollers 12. The trace 10 is provided with a notch or recess 13 adjacent one of its ends, and mounted for sliding movement in the recess is a trigger 14: above and adjacent to which is disposed a cooperating individual magnet 15. Disposed above and transversely of the traces is a trigger bar 16 which, upon actuation, is adapted to engage the trigger 14 when the latter is raised. The trigger bar 16 is connected to a link 17 which is pivotally secured to a lever 18 intermediate its ends. a The lever 18 is pivoted, as at 19, and has its free end pivotally secured to an armature 20 of a master magnet 21. The armature 20 has secured to its end a link 22 the free end of which is pivotally secured to an element for automatically maintaining the master solenoid circuit closed and which element, in the present instance, is illustrated as a pneumatic 23. The pneumatic 23 is provided in its hinged side with the usual bleed opening 23. The fixed side of the pneumatic is provided with a diaphragm 24; from which extends a rod 25 outwardly of the pneumatic. The rod 25 is operatively con nected to a movable contact 26 which is pivoted as at 27 This movable contact 26 is adapted at times to engage a fixed contact 28.

A movable contact 29, pivoted as at 30, is adapted, at times, to engage a fixed contact 31. Disposed above and adjacent to the movable contact 29 is a common magnet 32 which, when energized, will draw the movable contact 29 into engagement with the fixed contact 31.

A piston 33 is secured to a movable con tact 34 which is pivoted, as at 35. The movable contact 34 is adapted to cooperate with and engage a fixed contact 36. The movable contact 34 is connected by means of a wire 37 with asource of electrical energy which, in the drawing, is illustrated as a battery 38. The fixed contact 36 is connected to one side of the magnet 15 by means of a wire 39. To theother side of the magnet 15 is connected a wire 40 which leads to a wire 41 which, in turn, is connected to one side ofth e common magnet 32 and the other side of this magnet 32 is connected, by means of a wire 42, to a wire 43 which leads to the -otherside of thebattery 38. The other end of'the wire 43 is connected to one side of the master solenoid 21, and the other side of the solenoid 21 is connected to the movable contact 29 by means of a wire 44. Connected to the fixer contact 31 is a wire 45 connected to a wire 46 which, in turn, is connected to the wire 37 and thence to the bat tery 38. The movable contact 26 is connected, by means of wires 46 and 37, to the battery 38. The fixed contact 28 is connected to the battery by the wire 41, magnet 32, and wires 42 and 43. A resistance R is interposed in the wire 41 between the fixed contact 28 and the magnet 32. It isto be understood that each trace has its individual piston 33 and magnet 15 while the magnet 32 and solenoid 21 and their associated parts are common to all the traces and magnets 15.

In order to more clearly illustrate the invention and to avoid possible confusion, a piston and trace and their associated parts similar to the piston and trace described above are illustrated in the figure in dotted lines, the corresponding parts bearing the same numerals, except that the numerals are primed.

In the operation of the device, when it is desired to draw the trace 10, the organist merely depresses the piston 33 sufficiently to bring the movable contact 34 into engagement with the fixed contact 36. When this is done, the following circuit is completed: battery 38, wire 37, movable contact 34, fixed contact 36, wire 39, magnet 15, wire 40, wire 41, magnet 32,wire 42, wire 43, and battery 38. When this circuit is closed, the magnet 15' will be energized and the trigger 14 will be raised out of its recess 13 and, at the same time, the magnet 32 will be energized and the movable contact 29 will be drawn into engagement with the fixed contact 31. In this manner, the circuit containing the master solenoid is completed and this circuit is as follows: battery 38, wire 46, wire 45, fixed contact 31, movable contact 29, wire 44, master solenoid 21, wire 43, battery 38.

Upon closing of thiscircuit, the" master solenoid 21 will be energized and its armature 20 will be drawn to the right of the figure and the armature 20 will move the lever 18 which in turn will move the link 17, and the trigger bar 16 will be brought into engagement with the trigger 14. The trigger bar 16 willirictionally hold the trigger 14 against falling back into its notch 13 so that it is only necessary for the organist to hold the piston depressed a length of time sufiicient for the armature of the master solenoid to move the bar 16'into engagement with the trigger 14. Upon initial movement of the armature 20 of the master solenoid 21 towards-the right, the link 22 will also be drawn to the right and will expand the pneumatic 23 and thereby create a suction in thepneumatic. Under the influence ofthis suction, the diaphragm- 24 will be moved towards the right, together with the rod 25 which will, therefore, cause the movable contact26 to engage the fixed contact 28 so that .the circuit, also including the common magnet 32, will be maintained closedfThis circuit is as follows: battery 38, wire 46, movable contact 26, fixed contact 28, wire 41, including resistance R, magnet 32, wire 42, wire 43, and back to the battery 38. As long as the suction prevails in the pneumatic, the diaphragm will be sucked inand the contacts 26 and 28 will be maintained in engagement, thereby keeping this circuit closed and the magnet 32 energized. As long as this magnet 32 remains energized, it will attract the movable contact 29, into engagement with its fixed contact 31, thereby maintaining the circuitcontaining the master solenoid closed so that the armature of the master solenoid will continue to move towards the right, even though the piston 33 tact 26 from its fixed contact 28, and the cir-c cuit containing common magnet 32 will thus be broken, whereby the magnet 32'will be de-energized. When this takes place, the movable contact 29 will drop out of engagement with its fixed contact 31 and the circuit containing the master solenoid will also be broken, and the armature 20, together with the lever 18 and the-trigger bar 16, will be free to return to their normal position shown in full lines in the figure.

It is thus apparent that the organist is only required to initially establish contact between the movable contact 34 and its fixed contact 36 After this initial contact has been established, it is not necessary for the organist to continue holding the piston 83 depressed, but the remainder of the stop pulling action will be automatic and the organist will be assured that the stop operating movement will be properly completed.

The pneumatic 23, in addition to maintaining the master solenoid circuit closed, also serves another function, that is, it aids to retard the master solenoid in the event that there is no load on the solenoid, or a light load. In case there is no load on the trigger bar, or a very light load, the master solenoid would be apt to make noise, but this is prevented by the pneumatic since it has a cushioning efiect on the movement of the master solenoid. As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means, means for actuating said stop pulling means, manually controlled means for initiating operation of said actuating means, and means for automatically continuing the operation of said actuating means initially started by said manually controlled means after the latter has been released.

2. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means, means for actuating said stop pulling means, manually con trolled means for initiating operation of said actuating means, and pneumatic means for automatically continuing the operation of said actuating means initially started by said manually controlled means after the latter has been released.

- 3. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means including traces, electrically operated means including a master solenoid for actuatin said traces, manually controlled means For energizing said solenoid, and a pneumatic operatively connected to the armature of said solenold and having a speed checking action on said armature when the load is light.

4. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pullingmeans, electrically operated means for actuating saidstop pulling means and including a master solenoid, an electric circuit therefor having a switch and a magnet for operating said switch, manually controlled electric means forinitially energizing said magnet, whereby the switch is closed and the solenoid is energized, and means for automatically maintaining-the magnet energized after the manually 1 controlled electric means is released.

5. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means, electrically 0perated means for actuating said stop pulling means and including a master solenoid, an electric circuit thereforhaving a switch and a magnet for operating said switch, manually controlled electricmeans for initially energizing said magnet, whereby the switch is closed and thesolenoid is energized, a sec- 95 0nd circuit also including said magnet and a switch for opening and closing said circuit, and means operated by said master solenoid for automatically closing said last mentioned circuit to maintain the magnet energized, whereby the operation of the actuating means is continued after the manually controlled electric means is released.

6. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means including a trace, a bar adapted to engage said trace, a master solenoid having an armature adapted to move said bar. to draw said trace when the solenoid is energized, manually controlled means for initially energizing said solenoid, and means including a pneumatic for automatically maintaining said solenoid energized afterthe manually controlled means has been released, the movable part of said pneumatic having an operative connection 115 with the armature of said solenoid, whereby the initial movement of the armature will actuate said pneumatic to operate said automatic means. v I

7 Organ stop operating mechanism com 1120 prisingstop pulling means, means for actuating said stop pulling means manually controlled means for initiating operation of said actuating means, and maintaining means operated by the initial'movement of said actuating means for insuring continuation of the operation of the actuating means after the manually controlled'means has been released, said maintaining means being automatically rendered inoperative after said actuating means has completed its stop pulling movement.

8. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means, electrically operated means including a master solenoid for actuating said stop pulling means, manually" controlled means for initially energizingsaid solenoid, and maintainingmean's operated by the solenoid for automatically maintaining said solenoid energized after the manually controlled means has been released and until said solenoid has completed its operative stroke, and thereafter automatically resulting in a de-energization of said solenoid 9. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising stop pulling means, electrically operated means for actuating said stop pulling means and including a master solenoid, an electric circuit therefor having a switch, and a magnet for closing the switch; manually controlled electrical means for initially energizing said magnet whereby the switch is closed and the solenoid is energized, and means operated by said solenoid for automatically maintaining the magnet energized after the manually controlled means is released and until the solenoid has completed its operative stroke, said maintaining means including an element'for automatically effecting the de energization of said solenoid.

10. Organ stop operating mechanism comprising a trace, electrically operated means for actuating said trace and including a master solenoid, an electric circuit therefor having a switch and a magnet manually cont-rolled electrical means initially energizing, said magnet whereby the switch is closed and the solenoid is energized, a second circuit also including said magnet, a switch for opening and closing sald second clrcuit, and a connection between said solenoid and last mentioned switch after the solenoid has completed its operative stroke.

11. Organ stop comprising a trace, electrically operated means for actuatingsaid trace and including a master solenoid, an electric circuit therefor having a switch and a magnet, manually controlled electrical means initially energizing said magnet whereby the switch is closedand the solenoid is energized, a second circuit also including said magnet, a switch for opening and closing said second circuit, and a pneumatic having a diaphragm operatively associated with said last mentioned switch whereby when there is a partial vacuum within the pneumatic said switch is closed and when the vacuum is broken said switch is opened, said within the pneumatic.

pneumatic being, operatively associated with said solenoid whereby the latter upon inltial movement creates a partlal vacuum JOHN T. AUSTIN.-

operating mechanism 

